Mary "Fern" Patrick

Mary “Fern” Patrick passed away on December 27, 2015, at her home in Portland, Oregon. Fern was born on February 4, 1915, at the family home in Canby, Oregon, to her parents: Roy Harrison and Jewell Olive (Marquam) Knight. Because she was so tiny and they did not have a crib at the time, she was placed in a drawer. She was the younger of two children. She attended High School in Dufur, Oregon, and graduated in 1933.

Fern worked very hard to put herself through college. She received a scholarship from the Portland Woman’s Club, and began her studies at Northwest Christian College in Eugene. She transferred to Western Oregon University in Monmouth, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree.

On September 1, 1943, Fern married the love of her life, Charles R. “Jack” Patrick. They were married until his passing in 1992.

Fern was a member of the Lynchwood Christian Church for 36 years. She loved her church family dearly. She was also a member of the Portland Woman’s Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, Portland Women’s Forum, the Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority, and the Presidents Club.

Fern was a teacher for her entire career. She began teaching at La Push, Washington, although she spent the majority of her career with the Portland School District. In total, 36 years of her 46 years of teaching were spent at Jesse Applegate Elementary in North Portland. Fern enjoyed teaching, and she lovingly referred to her students as “her children”.

Fern loved to travel and took several cruises with trips to Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico. She enjoyed gardening, especially keeping up her with her favorite flowers dahlias, roses, and lilies. She was well known for her raspberry patch. Fern also provided a home for her mother and her mother’s second husband, Andrew Whitten. She loved her parakeet “Petey” and “Boots” the cat.

Fern will always be remembered by her niece, Pamela, as her “second mother”. When Fern’s nieces were younger, Fern and their grandma always made sure that the girls had special school clothes and shoes, and extra toys at Christmas.

Fern was preceded in death by her brother, R. Melford Knight, and her husband, Charles R. Patrick. She is survived by her nieces, Pamela Knight of Portland, Julie Richardson (Ron) of Yakima, and Roi Lynn Knight of Yakima; her sister in law, Ethel Knight of Yakima; and her grand nieces, Caitlin Lindborg (Justin) and Erin Richardson, both of Yakima.

At Fern’s request, there will be no formal services. Instead a celebration in her honor will be held on Saturday, January 2, 2016, at 11:30 am at Lynchwood Christian Church, located at 3815 SE 174th Avenue in Portland. A private internment will take place at Willamette National Cemetery.

Fern’s family extends their appreciation to Fern’s caregivers with Adventist Home Care who took excellent care of her.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to Albertina Kerr, or to the Lynchwood Christian Church.

Fern will always be remembered for her zest for life, and this poem is in honor of the life she lived.

“A beautiful life

That came to an end,

She died as she lived,

Everyone’s friend.

In our hearts,

A memory

Will always be kept,

Of one we loved,

And will never forget”.